Mercenary
by zazaq
Summary: A young, sick boys journey to becoming a renowned mercenary, and how that journey ended. Rated M for language, violence, and possibly sexual themes later. No "wanderer", no main characters.
1. Intro

Fallout story

Intro

_Well, more or less figured this was how it was going to end. _I thought with a sigh. I pulled on the ropes binding me to the pole with no results, not that I expected there to be any. Besides even if I could get the ropes off the "firing squad" was already out and with the buckshot in my knee my chances of outrunning them were reduced from slim to none. My thinking was interrupted as two of the figures started approaching. I didn't say anthing I just looked him in the eye, my eyes shone with acceptance.

"We were finally making it into the big leagues but you, you killed eight of my friends not to mention my little brother." The man said, his short, grimy black hair covered his eyes a bit as he leaned down to speak to me. He was so mad he trembled, I could tell he was trying very hard to maintain his composure in front of his men. "The vipers are never gonna recover from this you little shit!" He hissed out quietly, at this the red haired woman next to him tenderly put a hand on his shoulder only to have it smacked away. "Get your fucking hands off me!" She complied and continued to look at him with deep concern shining in her green eyes. I could have goaded him and made him explode but there would be no point, poor bastards had enough happen to him.

He moved to the other dark sillouettes, they were only about eight yards or so away but it was midday and the sun was shining very bright. As I watched them load there guns I returned to my thoughts. _I killed nine of their fifteen members, Quill's a cheap bastard but he'll probabaly give Mary __**something **__for the job. Besides I'd saved quite a lot of money over the past six years of this work, I'm sure she'll be okay for a while. At least until she's old enough to work._ There was a barray of clacking as the guns cocked, I gritted my teeth and thought of all the events that led to this moment.

I know its really short but chapter one will be at least a thousand words and should be out later today. Please Review


	2. Chapter 1

I let out a groan as I walked, sweat pouring down my frail body from my head to my wobbling legs. The cart seemed to be getting heavier by the second, my whole body was clenched up as I finally I made it out of the tunnel. A muscular adolescent boy was waiting, he was giving me a gaze that was somewhere between annoyance and pity. I felt all the tension in my body release as he grabbed the cart from me, it was relieving until a sharp, intense pain shot through my chest. I viciously hacked up a mouth full of blood and clutched my stomach, the pain slowly began fading. The boss was about ten yards away sitting under an awning, handing out cash to the line of men in front of him. I looked up at the setting sun and realized the work day was over. After the line and my pain was gone I walked over to him and held open my money bag, he gave me a glare as he began counting caps into it. When he stopped I looked at him with a mixture of horror and anger.

"The add said 25* caps for a day of work!" I managed to cough out. His expression didn't change as he replied.

"You worked less than half as fast as an able man, I'm giving you ten caps and your lucky you're getting that." He tied a knot firmly around his own bulging bag before standing up, as he walked away he turned to me again. "Don't bother showing up tomorrow kid." I was pissed but I knew it wasn't justified, the man did have a business to run and I certainly did lie when I claimed to be able-bodied.

I barely managed to walk the mile back to town and my house. Or rather the run down shack I called a house. I pushed through the door and fell onto my bed, I lay there sucking in breath quietly until I heard Mary's sweet, immature voice call.

"Justin?" The voice was part cautious and part concerned.

"Yeah. Is there anything to eat?" I had eaten just this morning but manual labor for ten hours works up an appetite. I heard her voice come closer as she replied.

"All we had left in the house was a cabbage and some dog meat." She said right in front of me. I pulled myself up to a sitting position despite my aching bodies protest to look at her. Like me she was wearing dirty, loose clothes that covered most of her skin. They were tan in color, looked like they had been made out of a burlap sack. Her hair was cut almost as short as mine and her face was covered in grime. She gave me a grin as she pushed an ancient plastic bowl filled with steaming soup against my chest. "So here it is."

"Yum." I replied only somewhat sarcastically as I took the bowl in my hands. While I drained the liquid Mary started speaking again.

"How'd the job go?" My heart sank as I knew what I had to reply.

"I got fired." I said grudgingly.

"Told you you would." She said matter of factly. I shot her a glare but said nothing as I was preoccupied with my food. "Did you at least get paid for the day?" She asked in a pessimistic tone.

"Not much." She let out an angry groan in reply.

"Do you understand the concept of no food in the house?" She asked like it was my fault.

"Hey, you know what-!" I didn't go off on Mary often but I was in a pretty bad mood, as I tried to start yelling however I let out a coughing fit into my arm instead. When it passed and my head stopped spinning I saw Mary's big brown eyes filled with concern. She pulled the hand she had placed on my arm away and took the bowl before silently returning to the small kitchen area. Damn, if I was only mean enough to fake those I could get out of trouble whenever I wanted.

"If there's no work at the job center I'll go hunting tomorrow." I called out.

"Okay." She replied quietly before going over to her bed mat. I collapsed back onto the bed and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

The next morning I forced myself out of bed and walked into town. This town was founded after the nuclear war, not a single ruin in it. That's something people take pride in for some reason. The "work office" was just some bald guy with a computer under an awning.

"Hey Mark." I say in a casual tone as step under the shade.

"Got fired?" He replied wearing a large grin, which was odd because Mark is actually what might be considered a friend. Sure as hell see him enough.

"Yeah?" I replied curious to his expression.

"Well you know the caravan that comes every month to pick up the iron?" He said with masked excitement.

"Yeah?" I parotid getting a little annoyed.

"They're hiring." He said simply but enthusiastically. I still didn't understand what was so exciting.

"Huh, what're they paying?" I asked interested non the less.

"One thousand caps for going the month with them, or four hundred up front with another four hundred when it's over." I almost cried.

"And you say they'll hire me?" I replied cautiously, in my experience if something seems to good to be true it is. His gaze became a little less excited but he still grinned.

"Yeah, I told them I had at least one guy who would go with them. Said he was young, scrawny and a little sickly but was a pretty good shot." My eyes drooped a little at the statement.

"Well gosh don't oversell me."

"Oh quit your bitchin they said they'd take you. I assume you need the down payment?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then be ready to leave tomorrow morning."

Sorry about the length and ending I couldn't think of a good stopping point. There will be more violence in the next chapters, this was just an intro.

*I know it's not exactly right but for the purpose of this story 1 cap equals 1 dollar.


End file.
